Taking the reigns

“All great things come to an end,” however clichéd and unoriginal it may sound, it’s true. Even in baseball: players age, teams rebuild–it’s an inevitable cycle.

While high-market clubs like the Yankees and Red Sox may have more flare and sizzle than lowlier, modest clubs like the A’s, it’s teams like the A’s who avoid lengthy, piteous rebuilding stages because they consistently maintain a nucleus of young talent and don’t spend frivolous dollars on over-the-hill, washed up veterans.

It comes down to promoting from within–maintaining a zealous, fervent farm system of young guys who are committed to winning. The teams that do that will never be out of contention.

The following clubs will be talked about long after the Yankees and Red Sox recede into mediocrity.Oakland Athletics

The A’s are the quintessential example of giving up proven talent for less-expensive, yet potentially special youngsters. GM Billy Beane gave up two of his best arms and by far his most explosive bat for one up-and-coming superstar, Rich Harden, one relatively untested pitcher, Danny Haren, and a few decent bats consumed by a sea of doubts.

And where has that gotten them? Right in the thick of the AL Wild Card race.

The typical 23 year old is probably fresh out of college, loafing around his mother’s house in search of what he wants to do with his life and where he left the pizza from last night’s party. Not Rich Harden. At 23, Harden is fooling and vexing hard-edged veterans almost twice his age. And he’s getting better: Harden’s ERA has improved dramatically over his three years in the majors–from 4.46, his rookie season, to 3.99 last year, to a searing 2.63 this season; Harden has all the makings of a stud.

And the other young gun, 24 year old Danny Haren, hasn’t been too bad either. Although his ERA is high, 4.04, it has been steadily dropping since he entered the league three years ago. Haren also has 10 wins this season (four more than his first two seasons combined) and 3 complete games under his belt (he’s never had a complete game before this year).

But enough about pitching, because hitting is just as important.

With a surplus of untapped potential, the A’s will have a lot of options with their lineup down the road. 24 year old switch-hitting Nick Swisher has made his name known for flashy plays in the outfield and flashes of brilliance with the stick. In his first season as a starter, Swisher is hitting .250 with 16 homeruns and 60 RBI’s. His average should only improve with time and so should his already decent power.

Swisher may be a work in progress, but Bobby Crosby has already proven himself at the big league level, and he’s only 25 years old. Crosby slugged his way to 22 homers and won the Rookie of the Year award last season. He was injured for part of this season, so his homerun total is down, but Crosby’s average jumped from a modest .239 last year to a solid .281 this year. If Crosby can combine his homerun total from last year with his batting average this year, he will be a very dangerous bat.

But stick-work isn’t Crosby’s only forte: he excels with the glove as well, at the most demanding position on the field, shortstop. Crosby has proven he has range like Miguel Tejada, an arm like Rafael Furcal and leadership like Derek Jeter–he’s the total package.

The bottom line: Harden and Haren are improving and with Barry Zito at the helm, these guys will have ample time to develop and hone their abilities. Five years down the road, we’ll be talking about another “Big Three” in Oakland–only without Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder. Look for the A’s to possess an intimidating pitching staff but also a formidable lineup with the emergence of Bobby Crosby and Nick Swisher.

Note: I’m revoking any criticism about Billy Beane that was written in my previous article, “The Beane Irony.” He’s earned my respect.

Atlanta Braves

It must be black magic, because I don’t know how one single team can produce a surplus of young talent every year, from their own farm system. Maybe they give free donuts after a win. Maybe they pay dental and medical coverage. I don’t know. But whatever it is, it works.

While three of the five Braves’ starters were on the DL this season, (Mike Hampton, Tim Hudson and John Thomson) younglings like rookie Kyle Davies, 25 year old Horacio Ramirez and 28 year old Jorge Sosa were holding down the fort and keeping the Braves in the NL East hunt.

Davies, now in the minors, was probably the most impressive–in his first four starts, Davies was 3-1 with a simmering 0.77 ERA. He slumped off after that, achieving a 6-3 record and a 4.56 ERA before being demoted back to Triple-A Richmond.

And it’s a similar tale for Sosa.

With the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Sosa never posted an ERA under 4.50 and only earned an ERA under 5.50 once, back in 2003. He’s never won more than 5 games before this season and has a grand total of 11 wins in three years with Tampa Bay. He has nine wins this season.

Currently, Sosa is 9-3 with a much improved 2.70 ERA.

But it’s not just young pitchers aiding Atlanta: an eager group of young hitters have been carrying much of the workload in the absence of two of Atlanta’s most vital components, the career .300 hitting Chipper Jones and the fiery, speedy shortstop, Rafael Furcal.

21 year old Georgia native Jeff Francoeur has been lights out during his short time in the MLB. Francoeur is hitting close to .350 and has smashed over 10 homeruns in just under 50 games. And if that weren’t enough, he has an M1 cannon for an arm–Francoeur has gunned down 9 guys in his short time with the Braves.

But it’s not just Francoeur lending a helping hand. Rookies Wilson Betemit and Brian McCann, among others, have also made a significant impact on the Braves.

The bottom line: it’s guys like that, the ones you’ve never heard of, that will make or break the Braves. And the way it’s been going, they’ll be doing a whole lot more making than breaking.

Anaheim Angels

Yes, they’ve already won a World Series and they’ve already proven they can play with the big boys. So, why are the Angels on this list? Quite simply, because unlike the Yankees and Red Sox, who have a cluster of grizzled, past-their-prime veterans, the Angels are ripe with youngsters who have the experience to compliment the athleticism.

And the man making it all happen, Vladimir Guerrero.

Guerrero, 29, has emerged as one of the most dominant and daunting hitters in baseball. You can throw it at his shoe-tops or near his head, it doesn’t matter, he’ll still take a hack. When Vlad swings, it looks like his arms get pulled out of their sockets. But what’s overshadowed is Guerrero’s arm strength. Watching him deliver a strike from deep right field to third base is sheer bliss for anyone who digs defense.

Besides Guerrero, there aren’t many other flashy names on the Angels, just guys who are committed to winning. Like Chone Figgins.

Playing almost every position on the field other than pitcher, catcher and first base, Figgins, 27, is the classic example of a utility player. His 5-7, 180 pound frame might not be as imposing as Guerrero’s 6-3, 225 pound frame, but don’t be fooled: this little guy can get the job done–Figgins is hitting .282 this season with 45 stolen bases, 22 doubles and 8 triples.

The Angels have a cornerstone to build around in Guerrero and the multi-faceted Figgins, so what’s next?

Pitching.

And the Angels have that covered as well.

This season, 32 year old Bartolo Colon is 17-6 with a 3.23 ERA. He’s finally living up to the hype that haunted him when he won 18 games in only his third season back in 1999.

And to discount any critics saying, “well, he’s over the hill now, he’s just going to get worse,” just look at Roger Clemens–a forty year old pitching like he’s thirty.

At 32, Colon seems rejuvenated, not tired out–revitalized, not worn down.

Colon is a power pitcher and one obvious sign of a power pitcher losing his mojo is when his fastball loses velocity. Colon’s 4-seamer tops out around 95 mph.

Another sign of an aging pitcher is innings pitched. Naturally, as a pitcher ages, he’ll throw less innings. The last time Colon threw less than 200 innings in a season was back in 2000 and that was also the only time in his career (besides his rookie season) that he threw less than 200 innings.

Bottom line: Colon is a workhorse who consistently gives you 200 innings a season. As long as his fastball sits around 95 mph and he’s able to paint the corners of the plate–not hanging the ball belt high–he’ll be one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball.

With Colon at the helm, guys like Kelvim Escobar, 29, John Lackey, 26, lefty Jarrod Washburn, 31, and 22 year old Ervin Santana can breathe easy knowing they have a gem like Colon carrying the load.

The Angels are already at the forefront of baseball’s elite and with gritty competitors like Guerrero, Figgins and Colon, the Angels will never be out of contention.

Toronto Blue Jays

They play in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox…and that’s about all they have in common.

While the Yankees and Red Sox throw millions of dollars at 40 year old has-beens, the Blue Jays are compiling a young nucleus of talent and waiting patiently for their chance to oust the grizzled juggernauts of the AL East.

The once heckled Blue Jays are making all the right moves and putting themselves in the best position to compete with and eventually overtake the big boys in the AL.

The Blue Jays are a club gushing with potential–from their youthful pitching staff to their feverous lineup.

Starting pitcher Roy Halladay, 28, has established himself as one of the premiere pitchers in the game. He earned a 2.41 ERA and a 12-4 record this season, before suffering a season-ending injury to his leg. He had a shaky season last year, but only because he was injured. From 2001-03, Halladay’s ERA was no higher than 3.20 and he won 19 and 22 games in 02 and 03, respectively.

He’s probably peaked in terms of potential but should continue to post impressive numbers for another six or seven years.

But, with all great clubs, it takes a team effort.

The Jays have two developing luminaries in Josh Towers and Ted Lilly.

Towers, 28, is 10-10 with a 4.04 ERA. He’s already posted career highs in wins, innings pitched and ERA. He’s not a big strikeout man, but not a big walk man either.

Towers is a finesse pitcher who relies on accuracy and maintaining a low pitch count. When his pitch total reaches the tripe digits he tends to tire out. But that problem can be mended with time.

29 year old Lilly is struggling this season but has shown bits of potential in the past, like last year, when Lilly won 12 games and threw just under 200 innings.

Lilly and Towers may never be aces. They may never strike out 3,000 hitters and may never win 300 games. But that’s ok. These guys have the determination needed to be successful big league pitchers. And at the end of the day, that counts almost as much as talent.

The Blue Jays will possess a solid pitching staff down the road, but hitting and defense will separate them from the rest.

And when you mention defense, in the same breath, you must also mention Orlando Hudson. This 27 year old has made himself a national icon for his blazing speed and phenomenal plays at second base. He’s redefined how the position should be played and is undoubtedly the most athletic second baseman in the majors.

He can hit too: Hudson is batting .274 with 10 homeruns.

The Jays play great defense in the infield, but they truly excel in the outfield.

Vernon Wells has quietly become one of the most prolific centerfielders in baseball, both defensively and offensively. Wells is hitting .277 with 24 homeruns and 80 RBI’s and has a total of 33 outfield assists in six big league seasons.

28 year old Reed Johnson and 24 year old Alex Rios patrol the gates in left and rightfield, respectively.

Johnson has shown decent power in his two year career, but is more of a line-drive hitter. He’s also proved he has a solid arm and decent range.

Rios, on the other hand, has more range than a nuclear missile. Though his arm isn’t very strong, he makes up for it with his glove and his bat–Rios is a career .275 hitter.

Some other notable young players on the Blue Jays: 25 year old Russ Adams, 23 year old Aaron Hill, 30 year old Shea Hillenbrand and 28 year old Eric Hinske.

These guys are the future of the Blue Jays. How quickly these players develop will determine how good the Blue Jays will be five years from now.

Will all of these players become superstars? No. But, if even half of them blossom into solid, everyday starters, the Jays will be a very dangerous team. With an above average pitching staff, perhaps the best defense in the league and a great core of young hitters, the Blue Jays could overtake the Yankees and Red Sox in less than five years.